The Ghost of Dome Rock Road

Damian Has A Plan

Damian opened his eyes slowly. At first, he didn't know where he was. Then he heard the beep... beep... beep of the heart monitor. He vaguely remembered taking a long ride in the back of an ambulance before he conked out. Was that last night? The nurse had told him the sedative would make the long trip from Parker to Phoenix more comfortable. Boy, did that work! He felt like Rip Van Winkle waking up from a long, long slumber. He could hear some commotion coming from the hallway just outside his room. As he strained to focus, he began to make out the silhouette of someone standing in the doorway of his room.

"Hi there, sleepyhead!" a soft female voice said. "Eileen?" "Bingo! Ding... ding... ding... you win a prize, sir," Eileen said in a sarcastic drawl, trying to do her best imitation of one of those guys who hawked games of skill at a carnival midway. "You've been out for almost two days, mister." "Wow! I feel like I've been asleep forever," Damian said. Eileen pulled a chair up to his bedside. "They didn't want to let me in at first," Eileen said. "Something about family members only." "But you're very persuasive, Ms. Jankins?" Damian asked, breaking out a wry grin. "Precisely, trooper Fernandez, and don't you forget it."

"He came to see me at the hospital in Parker," Damian said. She looked perplexed for a second. She looked around as if there might be someone else was in the room. Then she realized who he was talking about. "Sheriff Koontz?" Eileen asked. "Yeah, Koontz!" Damian replied. "And let's just say he's not going down without a fight. Ok?" "Your boss yesterday. Just like you said he would," said Eileen. "He talked to me for almost an hour." How did it go?" Damian asked. "Fine, I guess. Before he hung up, he asked me if I was sure I was on board for what happens next." "Are you?" Damian asked. "I am, for sure! I was a little hesitant, especially after you got hurt. But I got a call from John Jankins. He was checking in on me, and we got to talking f." "What did he say?" Damian asked.

"John told me he thought it was about time someone stood up to Koontz. He said he knew of several times the sheriff had crossed over the line. You know Barry was a real thorn in the side for the sheriff over the years." "Oh yeah?" Damian asked. "Well. He kept letting Barry get away with all kinds of crap just so he could keep John happy. John Jankins is not someone in La Paz County you want as your political enemy. I think the sheriff grew more and more resentful of having to kiss John's ass to maintain his political support over the years." "So, you think the sheriff just finally blew a gasket that day he and his deputies chased Barry all over the place?" Damian asked. "Yes. As a matter of fact, that's just how John described it." Eileen replied.

"Listen, Eileen. Now that you've spoken to my boss, he'll want to set up a formal deposition you need to attend. Based on my information, facts in the case, and your testimony, a referral will be made to a group that will investigate the matter formally." "John said that once the word gets out about the sheriff, he'll be through," Eileen said. "Yeah. My boss told me he'd take it from here. He will turn the Koontz investigation over to a state agency that handles this sort of thing. We didn't want to get La Paz County involved initially. Sheriff Koontz probably has some sympathetic allies on the Board of Supervisors. They might taint the investigation somewhere along the line. They'll be informed once there's an iron-clad case built against the sheriff."

"Oh, your boss told me to tell you to take it easy and focus on getting better," Eileen said. Damian rested his head back on the pillow, looked intently at Eileen, and smiled. "Well, now that you're here, darlin, I think I'm in very good hands." Eileen bent over to kiss him. The heart monitor next to the bed began beeping more quickly.